Process of and apparatus for cleansing and utilizing waste gases of blast-furnaces



(No Model.)

- J. REESE.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND UTILIZING WASTE GASES 0P BLAST FURNACES.

I No. 244,075. Patented July 12,1 81.

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N PETERS. Pholn-Lilhognpher, Washlrlglcn. D. C.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB REESE, JOE PITTSBURGQPENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND UTILIZING WASTE GASES 0F BLAST-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,075, dated July 12, 1881. Application filed September 20, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB REESE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Cleansing and Utilizing Waste Gases of Blast-Furnaces, and in the construction of cleansing and regenerating apparatus for operating the same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 indicates an elevation of my improved blast-furnace plant, showing the fur-' nace,dust-sett1er, washer, and the escape-main: in sectional elevation, and the remainder of the apparatus in an elevation proper. Fig. 2 indicates a perforated diaphragm made of firebrick material, and used for distributing the gases uniformly throughoutthe enlarged chamber or dust-collector. Fig. 3 indicates a perforated diaphragm, made of sheet metal or other suitable material, and is used for distributing the water in a dripping condition into the washer to cleanse the gases. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the washer, showing the counterweighted swinging valve.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur. I

My invention consists, mainly, in the manner or method of cleansing the waste gases of blast and other furnaces from mechanical impurities and to this end it consists in dividing up the gases into jets while under pressure, and then permitting the quick and free expansion of the jets, whereby the velocity of the gas is rapidly reduced and solid matters are deposited; and, secondarily, in the means employed for carrying out the process before specified, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Ishall now describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may make and-use the same.

Fig.1 indicates an elevation of my improved blast-furnace plant, and is intended to represent a twenty feet by seventy-five feet furnace provided with a dust-settler, gas-washer, and with three hot-blast regenerative stoves, each the gas, is comparatively small, or of such area of which are of twenty feet by seventy-five feet external measurement.

A- indicates a sectional elevation of the furnace; a, the gas-flue leading to the enlarged chamber or dust-settler B. This chamber is divided laterally into two compartments by a perforated diaphragm, b, made of fire-brick material, and which is designed to thoroughly and uniformly distribute the waste gases throughout the enlarged chamber in order to lower their velocity and cause a precipitation J of the impurities into the bottom of the cha n.

ber. Of these compartments, that next to the furnace, and into which the gas-flue adelivers 6 as will confine the gas under pressure and 5 cause it, in passing the perforated partition,to

be broken up into jets of high velocity, while the compartment next to the washer is comparatively large, soas to allow the sudden expansion of the jets, (or gas,) whereby its velocity is suddenly reduced, thus facilitating the deposit of cinder and'other solid matters.

- 0 indicates the gas-washer, into which the gases pass after leaving the dust-settler.

c and 0 indicate wing or swinging valves, which are suspended on spindles or shafts passing through the sides of the upper portion of the washer, and are provided with weighted pulleys to enable the valves to swing open at any desired pressure, as will be readily understood by the skilled mechanic. The function of these valves is to press against the gases and cause them to flow in a current over the surface of the water as they enter the washer.

E indicates a, stand-pipe supporting the washer, and is also used to convey away the sediment deposited in the vessel from the gases.

0 indicates the stand-pipe valve, which should be so adjusted as to admit a continuous flow of water down through the stand-pipe to carry off the principal portion of the water as it falls into the washer from the perforated water-diaphragm f in the top of the dripping-chamber F.

' E indicates a branch pipe extending from the stand-pipe E up to the overflow in the side of the washer. This overflow is provided with a gas-trap to prevent the passage of the gas with the water, and its functions are to prevent the water from rising up to too high a level, and to afford means for determining the temperature, which must bekept sufficiently low to prevent vaporization.

G indicates the gas-conduit, which is connected to the upper portion of the drippingchamber of the washer, and extends to the dome of stoves, where it is connected by valveehambers with their combustion-chambers.

H H 11 indicate thestoves.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: The furnace is charged and blown in in the usual manner, and the gases and products of combustion ascend to its tunnel-head, where their passage from the furnace is prevented by the bell and hopper, and they are forced to pass through the gas-flue a into the dust settler or chamber. The draft from the smokestack draws the gases and reduces the pressure to a minimum in the dust settler or collector, and they readily pass into the chamber, where the current is distributed by the action of the diaphragm over the enlarged area, the velocity greatly reduced, and consequently the gases, by the operation of a well-known law of physics, will deposit the greater portion of their earthy and mechanical impurities into the bottom of the chamber. I wish it to be understood that I do not confine this part of my invention to the mere mechanical construction of the apparatus described for this purpose, as it consists in the mode itself, as applied for this purpose, as well as in the construction of the apparatus herein set forth. After the gases have passed through the cleansin g and settling chamber, and the greater portion of their impurities have been removed, they pass into the washer and are caused to impinge upon and flow in a current over the surface of the water by means of the wingvalves which have been described, and then pass upward through the drippingchamber, where they are subjected to a thorough washing. operation by means of series of dripping streams of water from the diaphragm shown in Fig. 3, and then pass into the main gas-conduit, communicating with the stoves at their.

domes.

The advantages of my invention are, first, the dust and earthy impurities are largely separated, in a dry condition, from the gases, and consequently a smaller quantity of water is required for washing; second, by settling the impurities and then washing the gases in the manner set forththey are passedin a clean state into the-regenerators.

I am aware that a series of wire-nettings or perforated partitions have been employedfor screening the cinder, &c., from waste gases, and that the same have heretofore been arranged in a washer, and do not herein claim such devices, for the reason that, so'far as I am aware, they have never been so arranged as to break the gas into jets while'under pressure and then permit the free and unconfined expansion of the gas, all of which is essential to my process. Heretofore they have been used simply as screens, arranged in the current of gas to intercept such solid particles as could pot pass through the meshes thereof. Thereore,

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The method herein described of eliminating solid matter from gases, which consists in first dividing up the gas into jets while held under pressure, and then permitting the free expansion of the jets to allow the deposit of solid matters, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The method herein described of eliminating the impurities from waste gases, the same consisting in first dividing the gas into jets while under pressure; secondly, relieving the pressure and permitting the free expansion of the gas; and, thirdly, passing the gas over the surface of and, through a spray of water, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A dust settler for eliminating the solid impurities from gas, the same consisting of a gas-chamber divided into two unequal compartments by a perforated partition at or near one end of the chamber, and a gas-induction pipe connected with and delivering into the smaller compartment, the size of the smaller compartmentbein g proportioned to the gas-induction flue, so as to confine the gas under pressure until it passes the perforated partition, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In an apparatus for washing waste gases, the combination, with the washing-chamber or water-tank, of counterweighted swinging leaves or valves, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The gas-washer herein shown and described, provided with wing-valves, overflow, a dripping-chamber, and sediment-valve, constructed substantially as herein set forth.

6. The combination, with a blast-furnace or stack, of a hot-blast regenerating-stove having a combustion-chamber in its dome, a gasconduit leading directly from the top of the stove to the top of the stack, and an intervening settling and washing chamber for'cleansing the gas, the elements relatively arranged'and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JACOB REESE.

Witnesses: FRANK M. REESE, ALEX. MCFARLAND. 

